It's that time of year!

Winter is upon us. Time to get waxing the sticks for some on snow fun times. 

It's Coming!!

The Dawn Mountain Challenge is almost here. Get your early season suffer on. Super excited.

This is also the first event for our new MitoCanada Nordic Race Team.

Dawn Mountain Challenge Ski Festival: 2012 DMC: Mark Nov 24-25th On Your Race Calendar!

Dawn Mountain Challenge Ski Festival: 2012 DMC: Mark Nov 24-25th On Your Race Calendar!: Hello all, The 5th Annual Dawn Mountain Challenge is currently in the works and will be featuring a new event calendar for the 2012 season...

Pics from race weekend #1

Barrier hopping on Day 1 (Hospice Cross) 

The somewhat sketchy downhill when taken with big speed. Awesome Sauce fun.

Coming through on Lap5 with a big grin of anguish. The "once more up the run up" face.

Hopping barriers with my bud Sean Carter of BikeBike fame.

Finishing slightly spent.

Finishing strong on Day1 @ Hospice Cross

Coming through the corral and pave on Day 2 at Kicking Horse

I have to say that while the course at Kicking Horse was much more technically challenging I sure enjoyed it more. The first day offered a massive run up that destroyed my quads and rendered me completely spent on the last lap. Alternately on Day2 I went off the line much slower and built up momentum until I was feeling great by lap3. The problem was I just didn't get a good warm up in regardless of  riding the course twice prior the event. I need to get on rollers to get my heart rate up and to warm up efficiently. Will try that next race series.  Day two at KH was unbelievable with dirt, mud, wet grass and technical descents littered throughout the course. That was definitely my kind of course. Unfortunately a couple athletes said that racing the AB circuit really does not have any mud so... I will need to find some muddy races  :)

Can't wait for the next races. I'll post my race schedule here shortly. Mostly for you Dad!

Athlete Bio with TeamMitoCanada

Check out the link to my athlete bio with TeamMito!

http://www.mitocanada.org/team/athlete-profile-troy-hudson/

First weekend in the bag.

While I was not breaking records or finding myself atop a podium I met all of my first race goals for the opening cyclocross weekend of the year here in Golden, the Kicking Horse Cup CX Series. My bike was an absolute dream (exploded pedal excluded) and all in all
my fitness for having spent a minimal amount of time training a race pace was satisfactory. Day 2 at KHMR actually was perfect for me. I made up a couple places and was able to stay on top of my bike. Mike put on a great event here and it has really got my ass in gear for finalizing my race schedule. I also never have decent shots of me participating in the sports that I love so this one was a great exception. I look legit! Thanks to my sponsor Derailed Sports and Team Mito for letting me fly the colours of change. Next stop Calgary in two weeks. 12 races to go!!

One week to race time!!

For all you #CX racers and enthusiasts out there, we are one week to go for the Kicking Horse Cup Cyclocross Series season opener for Western Canada!! KHCup CX Series

I have not had nearly the amount of time on the bike that I would have liked but really, who cares. I'm so excited to blow up in the first couple races to get the bugs out and bring the skills back up to par.

Bits and pieces of training here and there. A wicked hill climb last weekend on Mount7 that produced I believe the fastest climb time of 1:23.58. Who knew that that sufferfest would turn out so productive for my motivation. As a full-time forestry worker the riding hours have been taken over by 10 hours in the bush a day so the sprint skills are not at all there. Oh to have a desk job again and have endless evening energy to get training done.

Alas, it is what it is and I can't to get the wheels rolling. Hope to have some Keith King course pics up this week. Ta-ta.

New VeloBeats out.

Going straight to the iPhone for todays ride!

VeloBeats x The5thFloor; In The Hunt

Ink

I'm pretty certain that I would NEVER get a tattoo. The thought of permanently etching my skin with foreign pigment does not entirely appeal to me. However....If I did find myself slurring drunk with a puke stained shirt, wandering down the street at 3am with friends and peer pressure took hold, I would get this as a tattoo! Know what, it might not even take a puke stained shirt. Awesome! Thanks @AdamMyerson for the link. Damn you.

Image courtesy of Irina Davis 

Kicking Horse Cup Cyclocross Weekend

Golden BC will play host to the first CX race of the season for AB and BC athletes. Through teh hard work of local rider and racer Mike Macklem, KHMR will host 2 road races, 2 cyclocross races and an XC Enduro MTB race throughout the summer tying in to the successful Western Open DH event. This event will offer some great racing with KHMR fully on board with the project. See the website for details.  It will be nice to have a few sanctioned races close to home this year. It's gonna be rad! If you wanna come over drop me a line and you can crash on our couch or set up a tent in our back yard.  :)

Norco Threshold Review (Part1)

The early pre-production frameset pics from Sea Otter 2011. Where my dreaming and scheming began.

When Norco came out with some early photos of the new Threshold SL cyclocross bike frame down at Sea Otter last spring I must admit that I must have clicked through those pictures a dozen times. Anyone who has been following the life cycle of this new offering from one of Canada’s most prolific brands will be familiar with the four or five photos which showed off the curvy lines, euro flair cosmetics, and functional yet savy features.

Sure...sure. As one delves into the world of the high end carbon cyclocross racing line up, there are now options from brands world wide. One of the draws to Norco for me is the obvious Canadian connection and the build kits that they are capable of offering at specified price points which often surpass other bike  brands due to their distribution network and buying power. Before we get too far along here I must confess that I have been riding predominantly Norco bikes for the last twenty five years. From Cross country to DH rigs and all mountain machines Norco has been there with me on some of my favourite cycling experiences. From winning XC races as a youth to hurtling down Mt. 7 in Golden BC (my home for the last 14 yrs). For the last eight years however I have been passionate about cyclocross. For me, Norco offers value, sound technology and perhaps above all, exceptional customer service. In my opinion however they have never really been at the cutting edge of technology. The Threshold changes that perception.

The Norco Threshold SL is light at 16.8 lbs, and offers an exceptional build kit with SRAM Force and Red where it counts, Easton EA90 Tubeless hoops, Avid Ultimate Canti brakes, Kenda Small Block Kevlar 700x32 tires (which are an extraordinarily versatile tire),  Fi'zi:k Tundra saddle and an Easton EC90 cockpit of carbon bars and post with an EA90 stem. Here is a link to the detailed specs:

Out of the Box:

When I arrived at my LBS, Derailed Sports, Jon (the owner) came out with a huge grin on his face with the quote, “this thing is seeeeexy!”. This caught me a bit off guard. Not that bike wouldn't be sexy, but that a hardcore DH and All Mountain MTB guy said a skinny tire bike was SEXY. With that I pushed past him to see this almost mythical bike that I have been drooling over for the past 10 months. I was initially hoping to purchase mine last fall in time for the 2011 race season but due to unforeseen repeated production delays the bike was not available until Feb 2012. 

Having been a bike shop manager for many years he pretty much left me with a stand for an hour to build it up. As I went over the bike I couldn't help but notice the key features that stand out from the rest. The removable dropouts are BEEFY with a second set of single speed dropouts should I wish to run it as a winter commuter or race a couple SS events in the fall (TBD). One issue that came up right off the bat was that the dropouts are held on by chain ring bolts. I had to tighten mine on the first ride which produced a very noticeable wobble in the back end. I recommend using blue Loctite to secure these bolts. 

Production dropouts and bolts are black. Be wary of loosening bolts. Blue Loctite cures the issue.

I have put an additional 600km on the bike since then and have had no performance issues. In fact, the back end is very rigid and responsive when climbing and sprinting. While this bike is of a racing pedigree, fender mounts are very quietly and conveniently tucked away making them almost unnoticeable to the racy lines and high gloss red/black paint job. While I will most likely be tucking the Threshold SL out of the weather for the winter and using my old 1960’s Peugeot road bike as my commuter, the possibility to take it out for comfortable all season commuting is a huge bonus. The top tube cable routing is both elegant and effect, eliminating puncture wounds from cable stops and contributes to keeping dirt out of the drive train. Another bonus for me is the continuous cable for the rear derailleur. While cosmetically it is pretty “in your face” the clear benefits outweigh the cosmetic blemish. On my first couple rides I did notice that as a single length of housing, it tended to creep to the back end of the frame, creating a loop of housing between the two cable tie points on the seat stay. I simply added a small wrap of black electrical tape between the two ties and eliminated that issue instantly. Coming from a 2007 Norco CCX1,  I found the geometry to be quite similar but the Threshold SL offered a slightly more progressive stance and steeper head angle.

 My new ride for 2012. Thank god they got rid of the red hoods!

I am 5’11” and the Large fits me perfectly. I invested in this bike because I do a lot of road riding in the summer months along with year round CX riding. I considered that I could just invest in one high end carbon cross bike and shoot two birds with one stone. It seems to be working out in my favour. The very compliant geometry along with the seat and chain stay design offers a very smooth ride with incredible dampening capabilities on our not so smooth mountain pavement. A 200km ride this past weekend was all I needed to justify the new purchase. Justifying the cost to my wife may take a bit more time.

Golden pavement, the 200km comfort test. Golden/Radium return.

The Avid Ultimate brakes were a bit of a chore to dial in perfectly and I soon moved both brakes to the “American”, or closed setting. I found that I did not get any real braking performance benefits and thought it would also help deflect some road air during the summer. Really…they just look super dorky with road slicks on. The stopping performance of these brakes are better than I was expecting with numerous forum posts mentioning that they were under performers. For me, once dialed in, they run flawlessly and without any chatter in part due to the much beefier head tube design.  

Braking is exceptional with the new extra stout head tube and Avid Ultimate Canti's. I roll with brakes in the "American" setup. 

This is my first real experience with Sram Road products and after a couple days of riding them I was convinced that Double Tap shifting is the bomb. The Force/Red combination works very fluidly together, while shifting accuracy and overall quietness of the system was impressive even in muddy and wet conditions.  The shifter paddles/brake levers are ergonomically well thought out and remain comfortable throughout the day. I have had a couple instances of the paddle sticking to the bar when braking. As the paddle and the brake lever move independently, there is a possibility that the shifter sticks to the bar and does not release when you let off the brakes. That one caught me a bit by surprise. This was resolved by a quick adjustment of the stretched brake cables via the very adjustable Avid's. Also the bike came spec’d with a 1050 Cassette. For a bike in this price range I would have expected at least a 1070. Not too stoked on that one.

Thanks to Jon Simpson, my shop sponsor at Derailed Sports for helping make this bike and race season happen.

Early Impressions:

Now that I have about a month on this bike (far from a true test) I am feeling more confident in putting this to words. THIS BIKE IS INCREDIBLE!! I spend 90% of my year on my cross bike. I trail ride it, race it and tour with it. With the aluminum model prior I felt confident and comfortable but the new Threshold SL is like driving a Ferrari through dirt. As the trails melt out and my first local race is just around the corner I will let you know how it goes at race pace. The new Threshold SL is astounding, with a fit that rivals any custom model or bike of twice the cost. It’s spec’d with the best components available in that price range and hits a weight that is admirable for a company that has not always been focused on svelte. For potential buyers I say “GET ONE”. There are three price points to choose from in this frameset meeting each price point for a typical carbon frame bike. For me it was a logical dual purpose bike that sprints and climbs with the light weight road bikes but pulls away from the vast majority of cyclocross offerings presently available. We will have to wait and see the overall durability of the frame. What I can say is that it offers a torsionally stiff frame with a compliant back end and a stance that is both comfortable yet aggressive. 

Troy Hudson is a father, husband, passionate cyclist and cross country ski racing coach based in Golden, BC. He hopes to get better action shots on his new Norco Threshold SL.

Two generations of band geek united.

It is beyond awesome that I get to now attend the #PurcellMtnOrchestra rehearsals with my son. He is rocking the first year 3rd violin parts with me still on horns. Love it!!!! He's the kid in the blue hoody out front.

Happy bike.

While my bike would likely state that the ride today was awesome, my junk would beg to differ. #200kmday

200km ride in the bag

The first 200km ride of the year went down today from golden to radium and return. Feels goo getting in big days so early on. Actually feels like I am getting decent shape. The 80km of headwind on the way back pretty much killed me however. Why can't ye Columbia valley have multi-directional tail winds. Damn you CV!

Part 1 of the Theshold SL story coming shortly

After riding my new race bike for the past two weeks it is about time to write a short article. This will come shortly and will send to a couple roadie mags as well as Pinkbike for their reviews column. Pretty happy this far with few issues.

Off to Ontario this week to spend some time with her following her stroke. She is doing well bit needs some son time to cheer her up and get her house sorted before he heads back home in two weeks. It has been too long from home. Taking my bike to get in some down time pedaling in the old stomping grounds of Belleville and Stirling. Super excited for that if the time allows. Mostly it is going to be so great to see that smile on my moms face again. Back to the homestead.

Training Season Underway

With the Cdn Masters Champs over with and spring officially underway I have transferred over to cycling as much as I can with our temperamental weather here in Golden. Skiing is still fantastic with -2 to -6 daily averages at the nordic venue. With this are sunny afternoons and rapidly drying pavement to tempt me to my bike. The new bike is fantastic!! A review will appear shortly following some more sessions on the dirt and trails surrounding Golden. I love spring!!

Masters, New Bike and Italy!!

Mt new bike following the build up at Derailed, my new sponsor for the 2012 season. They are a great small town shop offering fantastic service and customer appreciation. 

Day 2 is about to get going in approximately 14 hrs. Great turnout with challenging ski conditions.  New bike is home with me and have had a chance to get one ride in so far. To busy being a Chief of Competition this week to get any bike time in.  :(

More good news is that I am pretty certain that I will be going to Asiago Italy next winter to race and wax at the Masters World Champs! Training starts two days after the Cdn Masters Champs event is over!

The new bike is here!!!!

Pics to come on Friday when I built it up with Jon from Derailed in Golden. Super duper excited!!!

Canadian Masters Champs only 5 days away!

As the Chief of Comp for the 2012 Cdn Masters Champs I have to say I am very excited to host athletes from across the country and Pacific Northwest to Golden. With 150+ registered athletes for the week of racing we should see some exciting racing by all of these athletes over age 30.

Check out the sister blog link to the Cdn Masters here:  http://2012canadianmasters.blogspot.com/

Dawn Mountain Nordic Center (March 7th, 2012)

That's where I'll be for the next week!! Sleep deprived and wired for more racing. 

The year looking forward. SPRING!!!!

With less than a week to go until the Canadian Masters Championships things are feeling surprisingly calm. I vowed to myself that I would not get stressed out for races any longer. A great mentor stated that if teh team is calm the athletes and volunteers will also remain calm. So..... here I am, attempting to stay calm. It's working quite well.  :)

Following this event I am making some significant changes to the way I lead my life for this upcoming season. While my volunteering in the community will slow with the nordic club, I will investing more time into developing a youth dev cycling program in the Kootenays and develop a Kootenay Cup MTB series for this summer and early fall. Included with this event will be an early season CX Kootenay schedule if there is enough interest.

I am hoping to be coaching only Masters athlete for the 2012-13 ski season and will be focused on racing and  fitness for the cx and nordic race season as my training goal is Masters World Champs in Asiago Italy next Feb.

There may be 2 people that ever read this, I will keep things updated on this side of the web with training, camps, friends, racing and all things Hudson for the year to come.

As a training incentive I have just ordered my new bike which will be pretty much the most beautiful thing ever, a Norco Threshold SL. At 16lbs this will be my road race and training bike along with obviously my CX Race machine for the coming season. My training wheel set is on its way and apparently my bike will be here before the end of the week. There will be pics!

New Bike: Norco Threshold Carbon SL Full SRAM Force and Red, Easton EA90 wheels. Phassst.

2012 Masters National Championships: Great Skiing!

2012 Masters National Championships: Great Skiing!: Intersection of Raven and Caribou at the Beaver Fen, a critical section on the 15/30km Classic course (Day4 of the event). We have a LO...

2012 Masters National Championships: The snow keeps coming.

2012 Masters National Championships: The snow keeps coming.: Chief of Competition Troy Hudson out for a training session on Tuesday Snow continues to fall in Golden with albeit rather cold tem...

Woah!

There is a reason that I am spending no time here when all of my time is focused on the Canadian Masters Championships blog here. Lots of stuff to report but not enough time to post all over the place. Chief of Competition for this four days of racing is all I can muster right now. Take a look!